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The Internet: being like Marmite since... *insert date here*

I think the internet is something you either love or hate. You either 'get' it or you don't.

For me, the internet has been a platform to interact with similar people, make new friends, voice my opinions and just have a jolly good time. Sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Blogspot and Goodreads have enabled me to interact with people that I otherwise wouldn't interact with. Through Youtube I have met Lucy, Gabriella, Amber, Joe, Jess, Heike, Jake and plenty other people through them. Through Twitter I've met all sorts of new people and been able to have conversations I never would usually have with the people at school, I've been mentioned in the acknowledgments of one of my favourite author's books, I've actually been able to meet her and I'm a character in one of her books too! These platforms have allowed me to grow as a person and just to have a really good time! Other sites such as Goodreads have allowed me to explore reading and write reviews on a regular basis. Whoever thought it up was a genius!

The mass of communities I'm involved in are huge. I'm a Nerdfighter and through that I've been able to have great conversations with people, especially Jess (found here on YouTube - she deserves more subscribers!). With whom I've had countless awesome conversations over the Youtube inbox.

Thanks to Youtube I'm a more confident and self-assured person, I feel more okay with being who I am and that's down to the people I talk to and the experiences I share with them. When I went to a gathering back in April, I found myself feeling completely at ease with a group of people I'd only ever talked to over the internet. It excites and baffles me at the same time.

When I say you can either love it or hate it I mean this: if you find the right sites and the right people, the internet can be a platform that you can use to surround yourself in these incredible communities with these wonderful people. If you don't 'get' that, if you can't find the people that are right for you then you don't get what's great about the internet and you can hate it and not understand why these people get giddy about placing "in your pants" after a book title!

Keep smiling users of the Internet and DFTBA! <3

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